diff --git a/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs b/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs
index 011a4adcbb0..6aa6edcb4fb 100644
--- a/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs
+++ b/crates/egui/src/widget_text.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use crate::{
 /// RichText::new("colored").color(Color32::RED);
 /// RichText::new("Large and underlined").size(20.0).underline();
 /// ```
-#[derive(Clone, Default, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub struct RichText {
     text: String,
     size: Option<f32>,
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ pub struct RichText {
     family: Option<FontFamily>,
     text_style: Option<TextStyle>,
     background_color: Color32,
+    expand_bg: f32,
     text_color: Option<Color32>,
     code: bool,
     strong: bool,
@@ -39,6 +40,29 @@ pub struct RichText {
     raised: bool,
 }
 
+impl Default for RichText {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            text: Default::default(),
+            size: Default::default(),
+            extra_letter_spacing: Default::default(),
+            line_height: Default::default(),
+            family: Default::default(),
+            text_style: Default::default(),
+            background_color: Default::default(),
+            expand_bg: 1.0,
+            text_color: Default::default(),
+            code: Default::default(),
+            strong: Default::default(),
+            weak: Default::default(),
+            strikethrough: Default::default(),
+            underline: Default::default(),
+            italics: Default::default(),
+            raised: Default::default(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<&str> for RichText {
     #[inline]
     fn from(text: &str) -> Self {
@@ -360,6 +384,7 @@ impl RichText {
             family,
             text_style,
             background_color,
+            expand_bg,
             text_color: _, // already used by `get_text_color`
             code,
             strong: _, // already used by `get_text_color`
@@ -425,6 +450,7 @@ impl RichText {
                 underline,
                 strikethrough,
                 valign,
+                expand_bg,
             },
         )
     }
diff --git a/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout.rs b/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout.rs
index 9db77f888af..04d68efc964 100644
--- a/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout.rs
+++ b/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout.rs
@@ -753,10 +753,10 @@ fn add_row_backgrounds(job: &LayoutJob, row: &Row, mesh: &mut Mesh) {
         return;
     }
 
-    let mut end_run = |start: Option<(Color32, Rect)>, stop_x: f32| {
-        if let Some((color, start_rect)) = start {
+    let mut end_run = |start: Option<(Color32, Rect, f32)>, stop_x: f32| {
+        if let Some((color, start_rect, expand)) = start {
             let rect = Rect::from_min_max(start_rect.left_top(), pos2(stop_x, start_rect.bottom()));
-            let rect = rect.expand(1.0); // looks better
+            let rect = rect.expand(expand);
             mesh.add_colored_rect(rect, color);
         }
     };
@@ -771,18 +771,19 @@ fn add_row_backgrounds(job: &LayoutJob, row: &Row, mesh: &mut Mesh) {
 
         if color == Color32::TRANSPARENT {
             end_run(run_start.take(), last_rect.right());
-        } else if let Some((existing_color, start)) = run_start {
+        } else if let Some((existing_color, start, expand)) = run_start {
             if existing_color == color
                 && start.top() == rect.top()
                 && start.bottom() == rect.bottom()
+                && format.expand_bg == expand
             {
                 // continue the same background rectangle
             } else {
                 end_run(run_start.take(), last_rect.right());
-                run_start = Some((color, rect));
+                run_start = Some((color, rect, format.expand_bg));
             }
         } else {
-            run_start = Some((color, rect));
+            run_start = Some((color, rect, format.expand_bg));
         }
 
         last_rect = rect;
diff --git a/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs b/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs
index 17826e6afb1..fa02a971f2e 100644
--- a/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs
+++ b/crates/epaint/src/text/text_layout_types.rs
@@ -271,6 +271,11 @@ pub struct TextFormat {
 
     pub background: Color32,
 
+    /// Amount to expand background fill by.
+    ///
+    /// Default: 1.0
+    pub expand_bg: f32,
+
     pub italics: bool,
 
     pub underline: Stroke,
@@ -298,6 +303,7 @@ impl Default for TextFormat {
             line_height: None,
             color: Color32::GRAY,
             background: Color32::TRANSPARENT,
+            expand_bg: 1.0,
             italics: false,
             underline: Stroke::NONE,
             strikethrough: Stroke::NONE,
@@ -315,6 +321,7 @@ impl std::hash::Hash for TextFormat {
             line_height,
             color,
             background,
+            expand_bg,
             italics,
             underline,
             strikethrough,
@@ -327,6 +334,7 @@ impl std::hash::Hash for TextFormat {
         }
         color.hash(state);
         background.hash(state);
+        emath::OrderedFloat(*expand_bg).hash(state);
         italics.hash(state);
         underline.hash(state);
         strikethrough.hash(state);